Flying-machine.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

0. A. KABHLER. FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

W1 TNESSES 0. A. KAEHLER. FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION TILED JAN. 18, 1902. H0 MODEL.

PA-TBNTED MAY 5, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR 0270 9? z &e&kr

WITNESSES:

PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

0. A. KAEHLER.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

IN VENT 0H Oila Jifiiefir WITNESSES m5 PETERS c0. Pu 0., wAsHmt-mu n c No. 727,377. PATBNTED MAY 5, 1903. 0. A. KAEHLBR.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED JAN. 18I 1902.

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WITNESSES: INV ENTOI? I Oita JQJEZ'e/Ekr By ATTOR s IHil mama wanna w Puurournu. wAsunimou. 04 c.

Uiurrnn STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

OTTO A. KAEHLER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FLYING-MACHINE.

SIEGIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,377, dated May 5, 1903. Application filed January 18, 1902. Serial No. 90,311. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, OTTO A. KAEHLER, acitizen of the United States, anda resident of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Flying-Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to flying-machines, more particularly to the kind which to some extent simulate the action of a bird in flying.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of my device, indicating the same as suspended from a balloon and showing the wings as dismantled. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan 1 on the line a: of

Fig. l of the lower part of the structure. Fig.

3 is an elevation showing the wings and their accompanying parts. Fig. 4 is a plan View of one of the wings, partially dismantled and Fig. 5 is a detail View of one of the buffers used in cushioning the machine as it strikes the ground.

Upon a skeleton frame 1, of metal, preferably aluminium, are four buffers, comprising the tubes 2 and the plungers 3,'inserted therein and depending therefrom and normally pressed downward by the spiral springs 4. When the machine is at rest, the weight is normally supported upon these plungers 3 and springs 4; but when the machine alights after a trip the plungers 3 are forcibly driven upward against the springs, thereby cushioning the effect of alighting.

Upon the frame 1 are mounted four bracerods 6, which sustain the rectangular-memher 5. Upon this member are mounted two parallel shafts 7 8, each free to rotate. Cranks 9 are used to actuate the principal propelling parts of the machine and may be driven by either foot or power, as desired. "These cranks 9 cause the rotation of the bevel-gears 34 and 35, thereby rotating the axles 10 11, which by means of universal joints 12 13 cause the rotation of the crossing-shafts 14 15, and these by means of universal joints 16 17 in turn cause the rotation of the parallel shafts 7 and 8, which carry the wings. The shafts 14 revolve in stationary sleeves 19, which are supported upon braces 18. The rider occupies the seat 27, which is made upon the plan of an ordinary bicycle-seat. By means of the hand-cranks 26 the propellers 22 used in steering the machine may be actuated. The crown-gears 24, actuated by the hand-cranks 25 26, communicate motion to the pinions 23, thereby turning the shafts 28, upon which the propellers 22 are mounted. Upon the rods 29 the bearing-sleeves 32 33 are secured rigidly in position. The rods 29 are mounted upon clamps 30, which are secured upon the rods 6. The rectangular member 5 is strengthened by a truss consisting of a depending brace 20, supported by tie-rods 21.

Secured rigidly upon the shafts 7 8 are the wings 31, which revolve somewhat after the order of the wheels of a steamboat. Each wing is secured upon the shaft at 36 and is provided with a local shaft 38,1-unning lengthwise through the wing, as shown more particularly in Fig. 4. Upon this shaft 38 is loosely mounted a plurality of rectangular frames 39, and arising from each of these is a vertical stem 43, supporting a bracket 41, from which depends a cloth canopy 44. Upon shafts is secured a plurality of short arms 46, which are connected, by means of eccentric-rods 47, with an eccentric cam-ring 48, which is loosely mounted upon the stationary ring 49, which is eccentric to the main shaft 7. Each wing is preferably made in halves, as indicated in Fig. 4, and the two halves are socured together. Each wing is also provided with cross-bars 37, which support the shafts 38. These shafts at their ends 45 are rigidly secured to the vertical links 46. The ends 45 are pivotally mounted at the extremities of the wings. When the shaft7 is rotated, carrying around with it the wings 31, the several eccentric-rods 47, actuated by the cam-ring 48, are always maintained in a position parallel with the frame 1, and therefore parallel with the earth, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. The brackets 41 being rigidly connected with the links 46 and supporting the canopies 44, as indicated more particularly in Fig. 3, it follows that the rotation of the wings causes the canopies to remain in vertical alinement relatively to the general position occupied by the machine. The eccentric 49 is stationary relatively to the frame, the ring 48 being revoluble thereto. If, therefore, the wings revolve in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, the rotation of the ring 48 upon the eccentric 49 causes the several longitudinal members 47 to be alternately drawn toward the axis 7 and pushed outwardly therefrom. This can be proven by measuring the respective distances from the shaft 7 to the several bearing-spindles 45, disposed in different positions during the revolution of the wings. The several links 46 are always maintained in vertical alinement with a plane passing through the frame of the machine, for the reason that the ring 48 is eccentric to the shaft 7. The canopies are suspended from brackets comprising the central posts 43, surmounted by cross-bars 41. Each canopyis so arranged that when raised vertically upward the air causes it to'collapse, as indicated at the right hand of Fig. 3, and

when lowered to become inflated, as indicated at the left hand of said figure. The brackets are very simple in structure and merely constitute fastenings for sustaining the tops of the canopies. The idea is to have the supports for the canopies in vertical alinement with the links 46, these links being always vertical when the machine is in its normal position. As each canopy is raised vertically it collapses, as shown particularly in Fig. 3, so as to present but little surface to the air during its upstroke; but during its downstroke it inflates something like a parachute, so as to present a maximum of surface to the air. This is shown to advantage in Fig. 3, where the canopies upon the right-hand side of the figure are represented as going up, while the canopies on the left-hand side of the figure are represented as coming down. By this alternate spreading and collapsing of the canopies they are made tofeather like the wing of a bird-that is to say, the entire group of canopies which are ascending always present a minimum of surface to the air, whereas in descending the canopies present a maximum of surface, just as the feathers in the wing of a bird turn edgewise to the air while the wing is being raised and turn flatwise to the air while the wing is being lowered. All torsional effect due to unequal pressure of different groups of canopies upon the air is prevented for the reason that the several groups of canopies balance each other. Any twisting or torsional tendency that may be offered by one of the wheels is offset by a contrary twist-ing or torsional tendency offered by the other wheel, so that the conjoint effect of the two wheels is a general lifting effect. The wheels revolve in opposite directions. The eccentric motion above described not only maintains each canopy in a relatively horizontal position as regards the frame and the earth, but likewise maintains each local frame carrying the canopies in a horizontal position. This is shown in Fig. 3, the local frames and the canopies alike being horizontal, both as regards the lower base of the main frame and as regards the earth.

reacts The metallic parts of the machine are made, preferably, of aluminium, excepting where great strength is required, and in such parts as require an excess of strength I prefer to use properly-tempered steel. The different parts of the frame are preferably braced by means of rods 20 21. Of course the number of canopies and of local frames carrying them can be multiplied indefinitely, and they can be made of any size, so as to expose a maximum surface.

The operation of my device is as follows: The machine being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the operator takes his seat and causes the rotation of the cranks 9 either by his feet or by any well-known motor, and thereby causes the revolutions of the wings, as above described. A greater or lesser direct lifting effect is thus produced by the reaction of the air upon the wings. The operator steers the machine by means of the hand-cranks 25 26, as above described, one of the propellers 22 being upon his right and the other being upon his left, so that he can turn either propeller at will and in either direction. pellers are also used in driving the machine forward and backward, as desired. When the operator desires to alight, he slows up the speed of the wings, whereupon the machine gently descends, the buffers coming in contact with the earth and cushioning the force of the alighting frame.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A flying-machine, comprising a main frame, a plurality of revoluble members mounted thereon and provided with wings, shafts mounted upon said wings, brackets mounted u pou said shafts,canopies connected with said brackets, and eccentrics mounted upon the main frame for maintaining said brackets and the said canopies in predetermined positions relative to a plane passing through said frame.

2. A flying-machine, comprising a main frame, a plurality of revoluble members mounted thereon and provided with wings, shafts passing through said wings and movable relatively thereto, brackets mounted upon said shafts, feathering members connected to said brackets, eccentrics mounted upon said main frame for maintaining the said feathering members in predetermined positions relative to a plane passing through said frame, revoluble shafts mounted upon said main frame and connected with said revoluble members by universal joints, and means for actuating said revoluble shaft.

3. A flying-machine, comprising a frame provided with wings, brackets provided with folding canopies and connected with said wings, and mechanism for actuating said brackets and for maintaining the same in predetermined positions relatively to a plane passing through said frame.

4. A flying-machine, comprising a main These pro- ICO frame provided with wings, local frames In testimony whereof I have signed my loosely connected with said wings, feathering name to this specification in the presence of members connected with said local frames, two subscribing witnesses.

and means for maintaining said local frames OTTO A. KAEHLER. 5 and said feathering members horizontal rela- Witnesses:

tively to a certain plane passing through said JAMES PHELAN,

main frame. AUGUST OYRowsKI. 

